By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala survived a tense opening set on the way to a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over Slovakia’s Mia Chudejova to advance to the third round in the qualifying of the W25 Manacor event in Spain Monday.
Eala, 16, held her ground against her 18-year-old rival to inch closer to earning a main draw berth in the $25,000 tournament.
“It’s good to be back competing,” Eala wrote on her social media page.
The win set up Eala a crucial meet with France’s Alice Rame, who blanked Italy’s Margherita Viglietti, 6-0, 6-0.
Rame, 24, is seeded No. 1 in the three-round qualifying while Eala is at no. 11.
The French player is currently ranked No. 375 in the WTA against Eala’s No. 526.
Rame’s last ITF singles win, however, came in 2019 in the W15 Tabarka in Tunisia.
